Today I am

06:47
Karen
7 Comments

I have taken this idea for a quick post from Rinda's blog (thank you Rinda).Outside My Window... It is just getting light, a welcome change to the recent dark mornings but at a price - it is now dark at 5pm resulting in driving home from work for a whole hour in the dark.Around the house and garden... Having spent most of Sunday clearing out the spare room I frequently have to go in there to check out how much I have done and how little there is to do.I am thinking... that it's not long until Christmas and I really must get organised and decide on presents and shopping.I am thankful for... Gracia's love of her new course and the delight she derives from telling us all about her week in our weekly Skype calls.From the kitchen... Homemade leek and potato soup for supper with enough left for me to have for lunch today..I am wearing ... pajamas and a fleece as the heating has not 'kicked in' yet. I am hoping ... that the project I am planning in my head can become a reality and make life a little easier and more enjoyable.I am reading... the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy Mockingjay.I am busy creating... page kits and editing photographs ready for a retreat I am going to/teaching at next weekend.I am hearing... David getting up which indicates that it is time to walk away from the laptop and get started on the day.Reasons to be cheerful:-1. Leek and Potato soup for lunch.2. Time to myself each morning.3. This photo that came to me via Facebook yesterday.

Don't you just love the purple stethoscope with her name on?

7
comments:

Simply a Moment

07:37
Karen
11 Comments

It's 6:46am and I have been up a while. The first thing I do is check my phone and yes the message I wanted to see was there.

I note the time - 4:19 and think 'That girl must must really love us' to catch a train at that time means she must have been up for at least an hour and has a 5 hour train journey ahead. I text her back and secretly hug myself at the thought of having her home for the weekend. I think about the plans I have made and remind myself that they may not fit in with what she has in mind. I make a cup of tea and take one up to David, who is still dozing in bed, tell him that she is safely on the train and return downstairs for my cup of tea. I look with amazement at the state of the dining room table - covered with paper, punches, ribbon and card which have been left out after last night's little scrapping session. I remember that I must try to get another couple of layouts done for ATDML. As I sip my tea I check my emails and notice that I have a very welcome one from a friend about coming to the UK in the spring. I dash off a quick reply.

There is just a little time for blog hopping and see that Alison has posted for Alexa's Simply a moment. I decide to quickly join in and rattle off this post.

I must get on so I sigh deeply, rememeber that soon I will have her safely wrapped in my arms and get ready to start the day.

My little mornings of solitude are the perfect way to get started every day.Reasons to be cheerful:1. Our beautiful bright shining star is home for the weekend.2. I have lots planned, including going out for pizza tonight.3. Only another 2 hours to wait.

11
comments:

Reposting a post for Marti

21:36
Karen
12 Comments

In honor of a very special lady first posted on Marti's birthday in 2011I
never thought I would have a blog and resisted for quite a long time. I
started my blog when my father was alive as a way for him and mum to
keep up with the day to day goings on of our little family. Of course,
he wasn't interested in my craft projects but when I visited my parents I
would often see photographs (always of Gracia) that he had snaffled off
my blog, on display in his home office. Gracia is my mum's only
grandchild and as they live nearly 200 miles from us, blogging was an
easy way to keep them up to date with our lives. I could blog at a
convenient time to me and they could read it at a convenient time for
them.

Please
note that mum doesn't really have a white mustache that is just a light
flash on the glass of the frame but if it really was a mustache it
would be a pretty impressive one - for those of us above a certain age I
only need to say Jimmy Edwards for them to know exactly what I mean!

But through blogging, I have discovered some amazing and talented women, inspirational crafters, inspirational mothers, inspirational story tellers and
also made some genuine friendships. Although these friends live many
miles away they are still friends. We sometimes email, often comment on
each others blogs, have skyped and last week I received a little
supportive postcard.One such friend is Deb.Earlier
this year her mom, Marti, was diagnosed with cancer. How can you
support a friend who lives thousands of miles away? Deb, being the
ingenious woman that she is, came up with the idea that if you wished
you could wear a teal wrist band in support of Marti. Of course, I
signed up for the wrist band and it came in the post with a letter
asking all who received a band to post or facebook a photo of the band
or you wearing the band on Marti's birthday - the 29th April 2011.

This layout is square and the journaling strips are straight in real life!

So here is my post and a layout I made in celebration of our friendship and of Marti's courageous fight.

I wear my teal band all the time and am so proud to be an international member of Deb's Team Teal.

So,
if you are reading this, please take a moment out of your busy life to
say a little prayer for Marti and her family so that positive thoughts
come to her from all over the world.Sadly Marti passed away yesterday. Deb and Carrie my best wishes and heartfelt prayers are crossing the miles to be with you.

12
comments:

A & E

08:11
Karen
19 Comments

After a whole summer together in complete (well almost) harmony, it was difficult to wave goodbye when Gracia returned to Newcastle. The good thing was that we were traveling up the following weekend with all her 'stuff' and would see her, stay in her new house and spend a little time with her friends.

We had a wonderful weekend, her house is lovely, her friends so polite and friendly and she was due to start her medical degree the next day, so we left with mixed feelings - sad that it would be a while before we saw her but so glad to see her so happy and settled.

As always, we keep up with her antics on Facebook and when Sian suggested a story about dressing up, what could be more opportune then a photo of Gracia and her new friends dressed for a medic party. The theme was A&E and she dressed as an Elf (well if you can call a pretty dress and an elf hat as dressing as an elf), her new friend Frances dressed as an Angel and, as I found out yesterday, her other new friend Josh dressed as an Agent.

This photo means much more than friends having fun together as it shows how happy and content she is with her decision to change courses. Every time she phones she is so enthusiastic about everything she is learning, even talking excitedly about dissecting lungs!She will be home for a visit very soon, we can't wait to see our little girl who is training to work for the National Elf Service (ha, ha, ha).

This musing was brought to you courtesy of Sian's Story Telling Sunday. Why not pop over to her blog to read some more dressing up stories! Reasons to be cheerful:1. Gracia has found something she is passionate about.2. She has made new friends on her course and has such fantastic friends who share the house with her.3. She is going back to doing pointe ballet, something she loves and is making time for in her busy schedule.